Sometimes you just have to call it and move on.

I’ve been tinkering with the code and the design of this blog for weeks. Every morning I’ll find another corner of the CMS schema types, or the component styling to tweak. The thing is it’s fine, but what is the cost?

Costs are easier to find when they’re painful. A single scoop ice cream cone, from the beachside cafe, which costs more than a whole tub of Ben and Jerry’s! And you didn’t want to track the macros of it anyway.

But if you enjoy the activity, or get some kind of reinforcement in time, attention, or dopamine, the cost isn’t so apparent. The cost is literally everything else I could do with that 60-90 mins every morning.

The cost of most things we choose to do is found in the delta between thing A and thing B. For example, the cost of coding this blog each morning is in NOT spending that time in a better/meaningful/productive/relaxing way.

The paradox is that living a life too concerned with optimizing every minute and activity and person you let into your life brings with it a comparison tax.

2. I’m spending way too much time looking at clothing, EDC gear, garage storage, home fitness equipment and storage solutions. Cost.

3. Yesterday was a baller day. I have a gazillion logs that need cutting down and splitting, woodchip that need aerating and watering, and other gardening maintenance that I spent the entire day outside moving around. In the evening we lit the pizza oven and watched Spiderman 3. I felt like I was in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. There’s a euphoria to it.

4. I want to start writing more and making faster, scarier decisions again. Back in June/July I kept an active list of the high agency decisions I was making, and my response to situations (e.g. how I chose to handle a difficult neighbour conflict with unapologetic and pattern wrecking positivity).

5. We bought home a trampoline for LO. Happiest boy I’ve ever seen.